Hats that can be converted into other objects and back are known. For example U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,610,0389, 5,214,802, 5,303,427, and 5,450,629 disclose hats that convert to various bags and purses.
Toys that can be converted from one toy to a second toy and back are also known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,842,865 discloses a stuffed doll formed of two fabric sections with a cavity containing filling material between the sections. Each fabric section has accent devices on its outer facing surface to provide two different appearances of a toy animal or person. An additional fabric section is provided to conceal one of the two appearances, and can be moved, when desired, to conceal the other appearance.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,795,398 discloses a doll and flower-in-pot combination that converts to a hand puppet. A doll head is pivotally attached to a hollow body that is attached to a sleeve. When the sleeve is folded over the body and the head is folded down, the combination appears to be a flower pot. When the head is raised or the sleeve is pulled down or both, a doll having an internal cavity is provided that may be used as a hand puppet.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,781,648 discloses a reversible toy having a pair of substantially equal size fabric skins, peripherally secured, and configured to enclose one skin while exposing the other. Each skin has multiple appendages that, when stored, provide bulk stuffing for the appendages of the exposed skin. The inversion of the toy from one configuration to the other is effected through an opening along a relatively inconspicuous portion of the toy. The opening has an appropriate closure means, typically a zipper, to close the opening.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,695,264 discloses a toy including two reversible figures that are joined to each other. Each figure has a separate internal cavity having the capacity to hold or contain the other figure. The figures are joined along a common opening and at a point preferably opposite the opening, such that as one figure is folded out through the opening, the other figure is drawn through the opening and into the internal chamber of the figure being folded outward to form stuffing for the figure. Closure means, typically a double acting zipper, are provided to open and close the common opening.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,614,505 discloses a transformable toy figure having a structure that allows the progressive transformation from one configuration to another. The toy figure has a body portion secured to a special fabric segment that defines a resiliently deformable pocket with a resiliently deformable opening. The toy is transformed by forcing selected portions of the body through the opening. Once the transformation is complete, the opening is allowed to contract, enclosing the body portion to maintain the figure in the transformed configuration.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,328,399 discloses an article that is transformable from a first shape associated with an activity, such as a sport or a sports team, to a second shape associated with the same sport or sports team, e.g., a toy race car and toy a race driver's helmet or a toy football and a toy football helmet or a toy in the shape of a team mascot. While the article is in the first shape, the pliable portion used to form the second shape is collapsed, and stored in an internal hollow region within the first portion. To convert the toy to the second shape, the second portion is extracted from the internal hollow by pulling it through an aperture in the first portion, and the first portion is then inserted through the aperture in the second portion for storage. A closing means, such as a loop fastener or zipper is used to close the aperture when the article is in the configuration of either the first shape or the second shape.
In addition, hats or garments that can be converted into toys and back are also known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,287,561 discloses a hat that converts into a flying play object. The fabric hat is formed by a pair of dome-shaped sections, where one is nested within the other to form the crown of the hat. The circular rims of the two sections are joined to an annular disk that forms the brim of the hat. The hat is converted into a flying object by inserting a collapsed toy balloon through a port in one of the crown sections, and inflated to form a ball encircled at its equator by the annular disc.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,543,669 discloses a combination toy and garment having a toy portion and a garment portion that are attached together to form an article of clothing, such as a sweatshirt or other article of outerwear. When the garment portion is enfolded by the toy portion, the combination takes on the shape of a stuffed toy. The article of clothing can range from a jumpsuit to a cape, and may or may not include a hood. A fastening means, such as a zipper, forms parts of the boundary between the garment and toy portions, and is attached such that when the garment portion is unfolded by the toy portion, the fastening means may be engaged to retain the shape of the stuffed toy.